Da Couch Tomato

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Cinema, television, literature, and music–basically anything that can be reviewed. If you're interested in writing reviews, e-mail us at dacouchtomato@gmail.com. We won't pay you for reviews, but you get to practise your writing skills. It's a win-win situation for everyone.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Undoubtedly, one of the best (if not the best) naval movies ever made.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World can be summed up in two words: time machine. It takes you back to the time when Napoleon was master of Europe, when oceans were battlefields.

And like a true magical phenomenon, no words can aptly describe this film. You have to watch it for yourself. For the entire duration of the film, you'll feel as if you've signed up for the crew of the HMS Surprise, joined them on deck when they sing their sailor songs, and shattered your eardrums with them while firing their big guns. And oh, the salt water. You can almost smell and taste the sea spray.

Another acting combo from Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany prove that after A Beautiful Mind, these two can conquer the world. These two actors, under the expert hand of director Peter Weir (the true master and commander), weave a universe so solid that nothing else exists except the ship and the vast ocean. Their acting skills actually spill over to the rest of the crew, and what you get is a solid, believable performance by everyone involved.

This film won two Oscars, one for Best Cinematography (for Russell Boyd) and another for Best Sound Editing (for Richard King). Two well-deserved Oscars, I might add, since Russell Boyd captured the authentic feel of the sea with the ship's constant rocking. In fact, the ship never stops rocking except for the sequence at the Galapagos isles, where our sea-legs are temporarily put to rest.

Strangely, Russell Crowe was not nominated for his acting, but it doesn't matter, as his performance here earned him a slot in my Acting Hall of Fame. But still, Crowe's performance isn't what holds this film together; it's the performance of the entire crew. From start to finish, the audience's disbelief will surely be suspended. The males will love it for the testosterone-filled camaraderie, while the ladies will love it for the damn cute sailors (ooh, James D'Arcy).